The club was founded in October 1879 and it joined the Scottish Football Association in 1881,[1] despite only playing 5 matches the previous season.

[3] It had links to the local mining industry; the club's first honorary secretary, Gavin Black, was a coal master at Easter Moffat in Plains, North Lanarkshire, and its second, William Black, worked at Stanrigg colliery.

[6] This proved disastrous for the Stirlingshire clubs, as the standard of football in Dumbartonshire was much higher, with factories providing sinecure jobs for leading players.

Southfield - the only one of the quartet drawn at home - had to play the rising Renton side, and lost 14–1, conceding six in the first half.

[8] The club gave up the unequal struggle in 1883, not renewing its membership of the Scottish FA.